As technology has advanced, so has the need for assuring that specific products of that technology function properly. To this end, various types of monitoring devices have been suggested and/or utilized for assuring proper operation of many diverse units. Such monitoring devices are vital, for example, where proper operation of the unit cannot be readily determined due to inaccessibility of the unit or where the unit must operate properly for safety reasons.
Units that must be ignited, such as, for example, units having an electrical circuit to ignite fuel in vapor form, are particularly dependent upon proper ignition and the resulting combustion is often not easily detectable. Among such units are artificial ice nuclei, or cloud seeding, generators which are commonly positioned on aircraft wings or the like and the fuel therein ignited by an electrical circuit that includes a spark plug or other igniter. An example of such a generator is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,446.
As can be appreciated from the foregoing, a cloud seeding generator for use on an aircraft must be lightweight, have the ability to utilize low voltage (14 to 28 volts), and have low power consumption requirements. In addition, it is important that such a generator operate as intended, and hence a positive indication of operation or lack thereof is particularly important.
Combustion and/or proper operation of a cloud seeding generator has, however, not heretofore been successfully monitored, and a system for dependable achievement of such an end would enhance such generators.